Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Allied and Soviet Air Forces

Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10th April 2017, 08:33
alanatabz alanatabz is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 232
alanatabz is on a distinguished road
Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn

On Wednesday the 27th of August 1941 at 3.50pm,. Two 143 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft appeared over Udny Station, Aberdeenshire. The two aircraft came into contact with each other causing Beaufighter T3311 to lose control. The aircraft plummet to the ground striking a tree before crashing into the grounds of Tillery House near Udny.

Sergeant Arthur Aspinall Catton of the RAF Volunteer Reserve, Age 23 and Pilot officer John Mannington Sayers Age 26 also of the RAF Volunteer reserve were killed in the crash.

Anybody any details on the other Beaufighter or what happened to it's crew?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11th April 2017, 11:54
Alex Smart Alex Smart is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 4,269
Alex Smart is on a distinguished road
Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn

Hello Alan,
RAF Coastal Command Losses vol1 has this loss as "Lost height in a turn, hit a tree and crashed at Tillery, Aberdeen shire".
Alex
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11th April 2017, 12:47
Alex Smart Alex Smart is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Great Britain
Posts: 4,269
Alex Smart is on a distinguished road
Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn

There was Anson I - N5135 - 2 AOS - Got lost in bad weather and crashed in a forced landing at Kerny Tonlia Farm, Kilchattan, Bute.
Then there were the following collision's though.
Botha I - L6509 with Defiant I - N1745 but this was in the Blackpool area.
And then
Hurricane IIb - Z5145 of 331 Sqdn with Blenheim IV - Z5864 - ( 55/113/15SAAF) over Lybster, Caithness.
So it is possible this event was the one you were seeking ?
Alex
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11th April 2017, 14:11
alanatabz alanatabz is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 232
alanatabz is on a distinguished road
Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn

Thanks Alex

I have that info about hitting a tree, an eyewitness said it hit a tree following a mid air collision

The crashsite was in the gardens of Tillery House, the plane did hit a tree, but it was in the process of undertaking a forced landing after the mid air collision.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11th April 2017, 14:33
rafcommands rafcommands is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 193
rafcommands is on a distinguished road
Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn

The Court of Inquiry A.291446/41 discounted a mid air collision but did note that Sayers was possibly distracted watching another aircraft during the formation practice leading to the loss of height.

No mention is made of an attempted force landing only that they were unable to clear trees on high ground.

AOC recorded cause as Error of Judgement and Cause was altered from F9 - Unknown to F7B Other Error on 30th Sept 1941. (Cause code for Other Error, Collision was F7A- Ross)

Ross
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11th April 2017, 16:44
andy bird andy bird is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Pembrokeshire & Berkshire
Posts: 768
andy bird is an unknown quantity at this point
Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn

The late Eric McHardy OC 143 Squadron includes in his memories a brief mention:

"In July 1941 the squadron had become virtually an OTU training crews for overseas posting to mainly the Middle East. By October 1941 the squadron became operational. Sadly there were quite a few fatalities."

Andy Bird
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12th April 2017, 10:28
alanatabz alanatabz is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 232
alanatabz is on a distinguished road
Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn

Thanks Chaps

I stay about a mile from Tillery, in the grand scheme of things it is not really on high ground. The Beafighter(s) must have been at low low level.

The person that witnessed the crash, says that "on their way home from school at about 3.30pm when two Beaufighters appeared just over Udny Station. They touched/clipped wings, one flew off back in the direction of Dyce whilst the other, apparently out of control, headed towards Tillery. quickly went to the crash site where the plane was ablaze, and a horrible experience of seeing the pilot and the other crewman being enveloped in flames. It wasn’t very long before help arrived but it was too late. The Beaufighter had come down in the garden behind the gardeners house and a wheel from the undercarriage was lying on top of the gardener’s shed.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
[Study] November 23, 1939 : Luftwaffe losses / crash sites over France (I need your help !) DIscotraxxx Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 18 21st October 2013 23:49
Update:107 Plane crash in WWII, 30 km around of Heidelberg Area Part 1 Klaus Deschner Allied and Soviet Air Forces 4 15th August 2013 04:27
Incomplete loss information Jim P. Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 11 7th November 2011 01:33
4th May 1945 - attack on U-155 Faenor Allied and Soviet Air Forces 14 20th April 2011 13:16


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 03:45.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net